LOS ANGELES - Mobileye Inc., a global pioneer and leader in life saving, vision-based driver assistance systems and analytics for leading automotive manufacturers and suppliers, announced it has signed a retail distribution agreement with Whitney Automotive Group, parent of JC Whitney & Co. (www.jcwhitney.com), one of the country's largest auto parts retailers.
The agreement calls for Mobileye's aftermarket accident avoidance systems to be made available for purchase through the retailer's online distribution channels and direct-to-consumer automotive aftermarket brands. Whitney Automotive Group manages the J.C. Whitney brand, www.carparts.com, and www.stylintrucks.com, as well as private label e-commerce offerings for other national retailers.
Mobileye's aftermarket product line is led by the C2-170, a driver safety system developed specifically for passenger and fleet vehicles. A modern, comprehensive, single camera-based safety solution for accident prevention and mitigation, the C2-170 has generated international automotive industry acclaim, receiving the United Kingdom's prestigious Fleet Safety Forum Award for Excellence 2009, sponsored by Brake - Road Safety Charity - in the Fleet Safety Product category.
A three-in-one safety solution for accident prevention and mitigation, C2-170 provides drivers with warnings against unintended lane departure, collision with a vehicle ahead, and insufficient distance keeping. Featuring high intensity color coded visual icons, C2-170 reduces the occurrence of accidents and related costs while improving safety through the usage of turn signals, braking patterns and headway keeping.
"Whitney Automotive Group's broad reach into mailboxes and inboxes nationwide means that the widest base of safety-conscious automotive consumers will have unprecedented access to Mobileye's driver safety technologies," said Mobileye, Inc. CEO Skip Kinford. "Our goal has continually been to make the nation's roads safer in the face of increasing driver distractions. Making our Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and Headway Monitoring Warning systems available to Whitney Automotive Group's customers affirms that we're moving closer to realizing that goal."
"As the industry leader, Whitney Automotive Group offers the broadest selection of premium-quality products and technologies to automotive DIY customers," said Whitney Automotive Group President and CEO Thomas M. West. "Mobileye's systems are market leading solutions for combating driver distraction and saving lives, making the decision to add them to our rich product portfolio an easy one."
The agreement follows Mobileye's recently announced partnership with InstallerNet, a Boston-based company that coordinates installation of consumer electronics through the largest network of independently owned electronics installers in the United States. The partnership gives Mobileye customers immediate access to InstallerNet's nationwide network of more than 1,500 installation facilities.
About Mobileye
Mobileye N.V. is headquartered in The Netherlands, with R&D in Israel and offices in the U.S., Cyprus and Japan. Mobileye is a technological leader in the area of advanced image sensing and processing technology for automotive applications, with a product offering covering the entire range of vision applications. Mobileye's unique monocular vision platform works as a third eye to help drivers improve safety and avoid accidents, and has the potential to revolutionize the way we drive. Mobileye's products of software algorithms bundled into the EyeQ system-on-chip can be found in BMW, GM and Volvo models since 2007. For more information, visit www.mobileye.com.
About Whitney Automotive Group
Whitney Automotive Group is the largest direct marketer of name-brand automotive parts and accessories, providing "everything automotive" through its retail brands with more than 6 million automotive applications from the latest model year back to the 1920s. The company's flagship brand, JC Whitney, established in 1915, offers products for virtually any vehicle - automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and more - on www.jcwhitney.com.
